Eyebrook boat Sat 18^th June £24-00 (Pairs Trophy)

Payment byTue 1^ST June

Draycote boat Sat 16^th July£ ####

Payment by Tue 6^th July

The venues for Sept &Oct are not confirmed as yet

Rather a disappointing turnout, only 6 people initially although Murray turned up at the last minute and booked his own boat.

Boat partners were Ken W & Allen D, John W & Ray S, Frank B & Eddie G.

Lastly there was lonesome Murray S.

The day started with barely a cloud in the sky but as the day progressed it turned very cold & nasty with a huge downpour.

We started at 8.30am to make the best of the day, to finish at 5.00pm.

The wind the previous day had been from the West but had changed to be from the North. What had this done to where the fish were?

Allen & Ken went for the dam, trying the boil on the way (nothing at the boil though – too early in the year!).

Frank & Eddie went to G Buoy while the other 4 went north to the stumps (a likely location considering the previous day's wind location).

Allen & Ken, on the dam, started to get takes and follows up to the boat of some large fish but could not make contact. Allen did catch a Brownie of about 4 pounds which he had to return.Then a quick phone call from Murray - 'Come to the stumps, it's heaving with fish, I already have two in the boat and John & Ray have one each'. So off to the stumps we all go, all 7 of us.

Everyone was using Hi Di's with boobies or similar except for John & Ray who were using floating lines with nymphs. Ray was using a Diawl bach fly!!! (Welsh I gather?).

We all start catching and soon overtake Murray who is heard to be bxxxing and fxxxing, - something about the tangles with his hi di.

The weather by now was well clouding over and most people were well over half way for their limits, floaters doing marginally better than Hi Di's.

The fish were taking lightly being caught right on the edge of the lip rather than well down. So there were many lost fish and curses.

Then, at about 2.00pm some very dark clouds appeared in the distance. Ken quickly put his waterproofs on although he only had trainers, not wellies. Some had not expected any bad weather!!

Ray by then had finished but his partner, John, still had one to go.

Then the heavens opened up and it DELUGED for 30 minutes with rain and hail.

Poor Ray had to stick it out while John caught his last fish!!!

Eventually it stopped raining at about 2.30pm, but not until after many were soaked.

At this point it got very cold and the last few fish were difficult to find.

John caught his last fish and so John/Ray went over to see Murray who had been catching on his dropper with an orange boobie and was working hard with several fish to go. Murray was heard to say to them (jokingly!) 'why have you gone there (beside my boat), you have only come over to fxxxing annoy me'. It was taken in good heart.

John/Ray then had a quick rendevue with Allen (who by now had finished) and Ken (who had two to go) and they then retired back to the club house and warmth.

Frank caught his last fish but partner Eddie was still struggling.

By now Ken's feet were freezing (wet trainers!) and he had had enough. So he decided to drift back with the wind to the club house. A tug, it's on. What had Ken caught. A big gaping mouth appeared. It was a perch, about a pound in weight. Never mind, enough, back to the club house. It was about 4.30pm, very cold.

At about 4.45 Frank and Eddie appeared at the jetty. Eddie, who had no waterproofs, looked like death warmed up, as if he was suffering from hypothermia. He had had enough too!.

Meanwhile Murray was determined until the bitter end but never made his last fish. He appeared at the jetty at 5.00 pm in time for his weigh in.

At first it was thought that John W had the biggest fish but when Eddie G arrived he took the honours. Congatulations after surviving the cold.

Murray, last in, nearly clipped the heavist fish but it was not to be. Had he caught his last he might well have had the heaviest bag - better luck next time.

At the end Frank B took the heaviest bag. Congatulations. Shame there was no whip!!

All in all it was a good day although the deluge did put a dampener on it.

K Williams 6 fish for 13lbs 4 ozs

A Dixon 8 14lbs 14ozs

J Weaver 8 16lbs 12ozs heaviest 2lbs 13ozs

R Simpson 8 15lbs 11ozs

F Bailey 8 18lbs 8 ozs

E Gray 5 12lbs 14ozs heaviest 3lbs 8ozs

M Smith 7 16lbs 6 ozs heaviest 3lbs 7ozs

Martin Conray Malcolm Golding Eddie Gray

Keith Jones Roy Palmer Ray Simpson

Murray Smith John Weaver Ken Williams

Roy left home in heavy mist but by the 9.00am this had cleared to give a glorious cloudless start. However, there was quickly almost total cloud cover with the very occasional breaking through of the sun in the morning.

There was a nice gentle breeze that lasted all day although there was the occasional lull, especially where the trees sheltered the lake.

The temperature was typical for April, warm but with the occasional chilly breeze.

There was a variety of water birds, ducks, canada geese, grebe, and two lovely swans that had a big nest in the corner with a sitting swan.

There was one boat and one float tube in use by non-club members.

Fishing was from 9.00am until 6.00pm although actually everybody was ready to go by about 5.00pm.

Ken had purchased 10 tickets (for 9 persons) and so got a discount.

The Fishing :-

A variety of methods was used, floaters, Hi-Dis, damsels, boobies, buzzers etc.

Which method was best was anybody’s guess. All were successful. If a shoal went through then your luck was in.

Eddie started the ball rolling using his hi-di and Coral, wading in the water to get a good cast. He was first to finish at 11.00am. The average weight proved to be approximately 3 lbs so his total bag for the 6 fish was about 20lbs. Silly Eddie could not have weighed in his heaviest fish – they all looked the same at the time. By the time he realised it (because of the total weight was more than 6 times the heaviest fish) he had gutted them!! So he then had to hang around for 7 hours until the end. It is nice to bag up but so early??!!

Next to finish was Roy at 11.30am. He had a better bag with a nice fish (the biggest of the day) of 5lbs. However, unlike Eddie he was using a floater with a green/black diawl bach. So both hi-dis and floaters could produce.

By around 12.00 :-

Malcolm had 2 on floater trying all sorts of flies. Ken had 1 using a floater and diawl bach.

Martin had 4 using a floater/buzzer combination. John had 4 using a floater/buzzer.

Ray had 3 using a floater and diawl bach. Keith had 1 using a floater/buzzer.

Murray had nothing at this point in time.

As the day progressed the catches were increasing nicely. However, soon after noon the fishing got harder. By 2.00pm Murray now had 2, John and Ray now had 5 each, Ken had 3 and Keith 2. Malcolm and Martin had not shifted although, like many others including exasperated Murray, were losing lots of fish.

Ray moved around in ‘his’ corner, his favourite spot and picked up his last fish by 14.45pm.

Martin got another at 4.45 pm but it took both John and Martin until gone 4.00 pm to catch their last. John even tried a floater and dry fly when he saw fish rising for olives, but no joy. It was getting harder.

Murray, who had been fishing beside Malcolm then moved to the jetty, still on 2 fish. Then, out of the blue Malcolm caught 4 in a row on his hi-di and booby to complete his catch. He was chuffed, the first time he had ever got his limit at Bushyleaze.

Ken then got his act together and also picked up his remaining fish by 4.00pm.

This only left our new comer, Keith, and Murray outstanding.

At 4.00pm Murray caught his 3^rd fish. Two hours to go to catch his last three and it had got harder! He had changed from a floater to intermediate and now was on a hi-di shooting head and booby. It paid dividends and, against the odds, he picked up his last 3 fish in 25 minutes. Well done.

Our new comer Keith struggled and did not get beyond 2 fish. We all have to start somewhere, learn and improve, so better luck next time, it will come eventually.

High Lights :-

10.00am Martin caught a small jack pike.

1.00pm Malcolm lost a big one as Murray was about to net it for him.

‘I am not boasting but I reckon it was at least 8 or 9 lbs’.

2.00pm Ken catches his 3^rd, unhooks the fish, casts out and puts his rod down.

While he is sorting out his fish he nearly loses his rod with a take.

He loses the fish though.

2.30pm Roy, with his dry fly, catches a mallard. It comes off after 2 mins.

4.00pm Ken slips & falls in the lake. Fortunately the reeds save a big soaking!

Final Weigh-in :-

Eddie Gray 6 20 lbs 2 ozs 11.00am finish

Roy Palmer 6 20 lbs 6 ozs heaviest 5 lbs 11.30am

Ray Simpson 6 18 lbs 2 ozs 2.15pm

Malcolm Golding 6 19 lbs 3.00pm

Martin Conroy 6 fish 23 lbs 4.00pm

Ken Williams 6 18 lbs 5 ozs 4.00pm

John Weaver 6 20 lbs 2 ozs 4.15pm

Murray Smith 6 20 lbs 5.00pm

Keith Jones 2 8 lbs 5 ozs 5.00pm retired

Martin and Roy were presented with a 2lb jar of jam each (donated by Allen) for the heaviest bag and fish.

See you all at Bewl soon.

Iver Flyfishers enter matches that are organised by the AMFFC.

This year there are 6 matches, the dates and proposed team selection are as below :-.